


Thrifty

by beka_banzai



Series: SHINMAKE [2]
Category: A3! (Video Game)
Genre: 4 + 1 things, Gen, Implied Sexual Content, M/M, but disguised as adult sleepover
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-30
Updated: 2020-01-30
Packaged: 2021-02-27 03:48:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,491
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22480561
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/beka_banzai/pseuds/beka_banzai
Summary: Four times the Mankai Residence find Banri and Juza doing vague couple-y stuff under the excuse of money or water or space conservation and think nothing of it, and the one time it does mean something.
Relationships: Hyoudou Juuza & Hyoudou Kumon, Hyoudou Juuza/Settsu Banri, Settsu Banri/Hyoudou Juuza
Series: SHINMAKE [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1695340
Comments: 18
Kudos: 222





	Thrifty

**Author's Note:**

> You will find, at some points, that things don't really make sense. Worry not. I don't get my own writings sometimes too.

1\. Shower

The first few times it happens, Omi pays no mind. Everyone showers together sometimes in this dorm, time conservation and water conservation and all that jazz Sakyo-san likes to nag everyone about. Heck, he’d showered with both Banri and Juza before. Well, not at the same time. And not in one stall. And _definitely_ not under the same shower head.

Like what they’re doing right now. And by ‘they’ Omi means Banri and Juza.

He can clearly make out hushed whispers that sound like Juza’s voice. Oh, and a yelp that sounds like Banri’s voice. What are they...?

“Hey, Banri! You okay in there?” he calls out to the duo, glancing worriedly at the closed stall.

There isn’t any answer from Banri for a while, only weird slapping noises, like skin-on-skin slapping noises. And realization downs upon Omi, like the realization he had when he forgot to add in baking powder while baking a cake a while back. Thank God the cake came out okay. He still can’t find out what happened with the cake, but it was a good cake so he shouldn’t complain.

But, that’s not the matter at hand. Banri and Juza are possibly... No, they can’t be!

“Don’t tell me you’re fighting in the—“

“Hey, Omi-san.” Banri’s head emerges from the stall. His hair is thoroughly wet, as is his chest. “Sorry, Hyodo was being difficult. I told him his hair stink and he needs to wash it, but he told me “fuck you” instead so we got into a mini... quarrel, you can say.”

Oh, so they are showering together. Though, they were also fighting quite a bit in the stall too. They’ll never change, huh.

“It’s kinda surprising of you two to shower together.”

“Yeah, I mean, water conservation and all that shit, you know.”

“Well, it’s not really shit, quite a good idea if you ask me.” Omi shuffles in his spot, feeling like he should leave immediately because he forgot something—

Oh no.

“Oh shit my brioches! I’ll leave you two to your shower then!”

As Omi hurriedly exit the communal bathroom, he will be too focused on his brioches that he misses the conversation that happen right after from the two who are still in the bathroom stall.

“Seriously, fuck you.”

“You mean “fuck you”, like I just did? Sure, c’mere then, Settsu.”

And if Omi hears anything, _anything_ at all that again sounds like skin-on-skin slapping noises drifting from a certain bathroom stall, he’ll think to himself, “Ah, those two will never change, huh.”

\-----

2\. Dishes and Cutleries

Taichi is staring. Dinner started half an hour ago, but he was doing some extra practice for a little bit, so he was late to dinner. And apparently, so are Ban-chan and Juza.

However, that is not why Taichi is staring.

He’s staring because he’s pretty sure there are some diligent people who always wash their dishes and cutleries after their meal, so clean dishes and cutleries are always guaranteed ready for anyone to use. Always.

So, why. Why are Ban-chan and Juza using only one plate and one spoon to eat their dinner? Are they that bored of Director-sensei’s curry that they only need to use one plate that can only hold one portion of curry?

Taichi shrugs, shaking himself back to the reality and his own dinner plate. It’s Director-sensei’s special curry tonight. Though he can’t fathom what’s so special about this curry. It’s just like the usual curry she likes to make. Is it because there’s more potato in it?

Then, as he is about to shove a spoonful of curry and rice into his mouth, a movement from in front of him halts his devouring of his curry.

Juza is feeding Ban-chan a spoonful of curry and rice.

Huh. And it doesn’t seem like it’s something they decided on the spot to feed each other. A lot of the other guys feed each other spoonfuls of meal sometimes too. Taichi himself likes to offer to spoon-feed his meals to anyone who is rushing to school or to work.

But that’s just him. A lot of times if anyone is forced to spoon-feed someone their food, it’ll come as awkward. Yuki sometimes get mad if someone dares to steal his food (that someone is usually Tenma).

Not Ban-chan and Juza, though, not them.

They seem comfortable enough that it almost seems like they do this on a daily basis.

“You guys seem chummy.”

Juza looks up from shovelling curry and rice to the spoon he’s now holding. “...What?”

“You’ve been feeding each other curry. That’s cute.” Taichi shrugs, going back to his own curry.

“Water conservation.” Ban-chan says curtly, peeking from behind his phone, then goes back to tapping at it like a mad man right after. “Washing two plates and two cutleries will waste more water. Old Man Sakyo said so, no?”

“Aah, you’re right.”

That actually makes sense. So, Taichi thinks nothing of it and continues to polish off his dinner. He’s pretty sure he’s found what’s so special about tonight’s curry. Just a moment ago he was pretty sure he was chewing on some kind of meat. He doesn’t know what it is though, so he’s going to keep eating, hopefully he can get a bite of that meat again so he can figure out what kind of meat it is.

And it is no one’s fault that he doesn’t look up from his dinner, not even a glance is spared to the two individuals across of him. And it is really not Taichi’s fault he misses the way Juza wipes a stray sauce off the corner of Banri’s lips, a fond look on his face, so fond it is unlike him to have. Even more so when it’s directed to Settsu Banri.

But Taichi is no longer staring, so he doesn’t know that. He just found a piece of that meat. And it’s actually beef!

\-----

3\. Sitting on laps

“God, this palette is shit...” Azami mumbles while trying to blend a red eye shadow on the crease of his eyelid. He frantically keeps on going back and forth between blending using an eye shadow brush and brushing away fine dusts of fall out off of the apples of his cheeks.

A shadow of figure breezes past the coffee table, just on the corner of his vision. He glances towards it, finding that it’s just Banri-san, and goes back to his problematic palette with a sigh. It is a more troubling matter than Banri-san, who just now goes straight to sit on Juza-san’s lap—hold on one fucking second.

“There’s like, empty spaces on these couches, you know.” Azami gestures with his chin towards the admittedly almost empty couch spaces, minus the one being sat on by Juza-san since almost half an hour ago.

It is Sunday today, and while Azami has chosen to spend his weekend trying out new make up products he purchased recently, all the other current tenants in the Mankai dorm have decidedly spend their weekends somewhere in the outside world. He had initially thought he’d have the entire dorm to himself—even the director is out too—until Juza-san arrived at the lounge area, making himself at home studying a script for a new performance coming soon.

He’ll have to study his lines more too, but first, make up.

But also first, Banri-san’s explanation of why he thinks Juza-san’s lap is more desirable than the abundance of empty seats.

“It’s called space conservation, brat.” The older man answers curtly. He is apparently already distracted by his phone and trying to make himself comfortable on Juza-san’s lap.

Azami dives for a concealer, deciding that he’s had enough with all the crappy fall out of the crappy palette and is going to just pack as many glitters as he can on his lids.

“Yeah, no, I don’t know what you’re talking about. What kind of crap is ‘space conservation’, anyway.” Azami sprays a brush with a setting spray, dips it to get a good amount of glitter from the palette, and packs it on his eyelids. Fall outs to be expected from such a shitty palette. God, what a waste of money.

“You know that thing Sakyo always talks about.”

Hearing Shithead Sakyo’s name just adds the cherry on top of Azami’s sour mood. “Please don’t say his name. And I don’t really care about whatever shit he talks about. I’m just going to believe you.”

He doesn’t hear anything else from the two, except some shuffling noises and grunts and a yelp—for some odd reason that he doesn’t care about.

Azami still thinks that it’s peculiar for Banri to want to be in such close proximity with his supposedly arch enemy. But all that thought goes out the window when a stray glitter falls out of his eyelid and into his eye.

He shouts out a curse, throws the damned palette into a trash can and stomps to the bathroom. He just wants to get these crap eye shadows off of his eye lids already. God.

\-----

4\. Bed

On the days when Izumi just can’t get out of budgeting with Sakyo-san and Yuki, it has to be after a long day of volunteer works at nearby theatres.

It is currently nearing 11 pm. She’s dead tired and just wants to pass out on her bed. Preferably right now. Without the glares from the two. Also, where is Matsukawa? Shouldn’t he be helping her with these matters too?

“Do we really have to do this right now?” Izumi begs. She never begs—well, not pathetically like this. She always pulls, entices, seduces the theatre out of cold dead souls of people.

But _her cold dead soul_ could need some resting right now.

“If we don’t do this right now, we’ll never find the time to do it later. So. Are you really sure this is all I get for costumes? Because, pardon me, but fuck you.”

“Language, Yuki. But seriously, Sakyo-san, fuck you. Are you sure this is all I get for monthly allowances? To feed basically an army of growing adolescences?”

And Izumi swears the tone of Sakyo-san’s answer is cold and deadly.

“Yes.”

Then come the barrages of protest.

“You all keep saying you’re tired of my curry, but in this case, with this budget, all I can feed you is _curry_!”

“And with this whatever sad piece of budget for costumes, I can and _will_ only give you all crop tops and booty shorts, if you don’t raise it, at least twice the amount!”

“And while that is probably what you want, Sakyo-san—I can’t believe you’re such a pervert—we can’t let the audience see such abomination! Do you want to see Tasuku and Omi ripping those crop tops in half with the pressure of their pecs in front of dozens of innocent audience? No!”

Yuki squints his eyes warily at Izumi’s outburst, grimacing. “Please keep that to yourself, Director. I don’t want to put such images in my innocent brain.”

Izumi sighs heavily, slumping onto the back of the couch she’s sitting on, hugging a throw pillow as close as she can to her tired body. “Listen, I’m tired, okay.” And that’s the only thing she can manage to provide as an excuse.

Sakyo-san, in turn, sighs heavily, putting his glasses on the coffee table in defeat. “...Fine. It’s just—I can actually get a big sponsor with my connections. I just don’t think a specific person in this company will like the idea that I use his father to sponsor us.”

Izumi sits up immediately hearing Sakyo-san’s reasoning. “Sakyo-san, you really are a softie for Azami,” she says with a teasing lilt in her voice. And a teasing look on her face. Yuki stifles a laugh behind his hand on Sakyo-san’s side.

Sakyo-san slumps heavily on the back of the couch, pinching the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger. Another sigh is let out, a sign that Sakyo-san is just as tired as everyone in the room. He’s probably thinking he’s too old to deal with everything that’s happening in Mankai Company. Add to that his day job and Azami’s father—well, Izumi does pity him. Sometimes. Not right now, though.

“Yuki, you can go ba—“

_CRASH!_

All three of them sits up the moment the sound registers in their ears.

“What was that?” Izumi’s question is met with silence as they quietly assess what just happened.

A door sounds like it is being wrenched open, hurried footsteps then follow it immediately.

Izumi, Yuki, and Sakyo-san look at each other in unison. Because if it’s what Izumi thinks it is, then they’re in a lot more trouble than possible crop tops and booty shorts for unforeseeable future performances.

Izumi promptly gets up, followed by Sakyo-san. “Sakyo-san, call someone for a back up.”

“Already did.”

“Good.” Izumi glances at Yuki, who’s following right behind Sakyo-san. Fatigue that was adorning his youthful face is all gone now, replaced by one of worry. “Yuki, you stay with Sakyo-san.”

“No need to tell me, Director.” Izumi nods at that. Well, at least she’s with people who are quick on their feet.

And hopefully the probably-burglar-probably-not-burglar is _not_ quite quick on their feet.

“...And what do you think you’re doing, taking the front like that?”

“I can scream really loud, Sakyo-san. And whoever it is who just broke in will be annihilated by probably Chikage-san, Hisoka-san or Azuma-san, woken up by my scream.” Izumi feels rather than sees Sakyo-san—and Yuki—rolling their eyes at her ridiculous excuse.

The trio proceed to tip toe to the source of the crash. It sounds like it came from around room 104 or 105 or 106, as far as Izumi prediction goes. She’s not really good at guessing, but she’s pretty sure the sound came from around those three rooms.

And right when they turn to the corner leading to those three rooms area, Izumi makes out a shadow tip toeing out of room 104, crouching and holding... some stuff. She can’t clearly make out what, but it seems like... a broom?

“Stop right there!”

Izumi jumps from the sudden command. Sakyo-san’s signature demonic voice of authority bellows loudly that the figure stops in his track. Their head turns slowly towards the direction of the trio.

Yuki, ever the cleverest out of everyone, lights a flashlight from his phone towards the figure.

And, surprise surprise.

“Juza-kun?”

“Hyodo?”

“Template Yankee?”

Hyodo Juza only blinks in surprise, his mouth opens and closes, looking like he has been caught doing something suspicious. Which he totally has.

“What are you doing with a... broom... so late at night?” Izumi asks, gesturing at said broom—and apparently a dustpan filled with shards of broken glass.

“I... uh... wait.” Juza-kun steps away to dump the shards into a trash can, putting the broom and the dustpan next to it.

Izumi doesn’t know about Sakyo-san or Yuki, but she’s positively confused but still patient enough to wait for Juza-kun’s explanation. This is the shadiest thing Juza-kun has ever done—not included those reports of him probably-fighting in the shower with Banri-kun, him feeding Banri-kun dinner, and him letting Banri-kun sits on his lap from a variety of Autumn Trope members. So Izumi is really curious as to what is going on.

“Um... Settsu kicks in his sleep, and I got startled and hit my nightstand, and the glass on it wobbled and fell.”

She’s not sure if it’s the right way to react, but Izumi is even more curious as to what’s going on. Because Juza-kun apparently sleeps in the same bed as Banri-kun? What?

“What?” Thank God for Yuki who’s always the voice of reason voicing out the exact same question Izumi has regarding this situation. “Why is Neo Yankee sleeping with you? When did it start? Were you actually just fucking but—drrngtkfftmm!”

Thank God for Sakyo-san who’s always the saviour of awkward situations. That is not where Izumi thought the direction Yuki was going to with his questions. Though she has to agree; why is Banri-kun sleeping with Juza-kun? Aren’t they arch nemesis basically?

“Why is Settsu sleeping with you? Don’t you two have a perfectly good bed for each one of you?”

“Umm... That is... you know, to save money.”

What. “What?”

“No, I do not know. Elaborate.”

Juza-kun looks hilariously red in the face, shuffling in his spot awkwardly. “Um... You know... less sheet to wash, less money spent on detergent. Effective money saving method.”

There is no way Sakyo-san is going to believe tha—

“Oh. Okay. I get it.”

Izumi turns scandalously towards Sakyo-san because, is he kidding? “Are you kidding me? That doesn’t sound like it’s a legit reason for two arch nemesis to suddenly start sleeping together. You’re going to just believe that?”

Sakyo-san sighs tiredly. “Do you want more money for food or no?”

“Yes! Absolutely!” Izumi turns back to Juza-kun, thick skinned as ever because yay, more budget for more curry! “Please go back to sleep, Juza-kun. Be careful not to break any more glass, okay?”

“Yes, Director.”

Juza-kun steps back into his room with a nod. And Izumi turns back to the other two, ushering them back to their rooms, with promises to discuss budgets with them in the morning when everyone is less tired and their brains less dead than they are right now. All the while ignoring Yuki’s loud claims of “ _those two are totally involved with each other, like romantically and sexually, Director, you have to believe me!_ ”

And all the while ignoring the amused giggle coming from room 104 that sounds a lot like Banri-kun’s voice.

But, hey, Izumi is dead tired. It could be just the late night wind playing with her imagination.

_____

\+ 1. Still bed (but this time it means something)

Turns out, it was not just the late night wind playing with Izumi’s imagination. Because the next morning, as she wanders into the boys’ dorms area, particularly the two resident troublemakers who reside in dorm room number 104, a figure breezes before her. A mess of purple hair, green basketball shorts, and nothing in between hurriedly passes her, heading to the room she plans on heading too.

“Kumon-kun?” she calls out to the figure—Kumon-kun. But he does not as much as react to his name being called; he keeps on marching towards room 104, face contorted in worry.

At first, Izumi thinks nothing of it. Only when Kumon-kun starts banging on the room’s door, then she moves to interfere. Something is definitely going on to put Kumon-kun in such stance.

“Kumon-kun what’s going on?” Izumi decides to step up and see what is happening with him. And maybe with either his brother or his brother’s roommate. But he is apparently so distraught by whatever is happening that he jumps when Izumi is already right next to him; her face clouded with curiosity.

“Oh, Director-san!”

“What’s going on? Are you okay?”

“Umm... not really? I mean Nii-chan promised me yesterday that we would jog together and then we would visit this ramen restaurant that serves breakfast ramen, but I’ve waited and waited and Nii-chan didn’t come! And I’m worried!” he turns to face the door, his eyebrows contorted in visible worry, and starts banging on room 104’s door again.

“So you came to check on your brother, um... shirtless?”

As if only remembering, Kumon-kun halts his banging, and looks down at his bare chest, grinning sheepishly at the realization. “Oh, I was changing my shirt, after jogging with Tasuku-san and Sakuya-san, when Omi-san told me that he didn’t see Nii-chan came out to get scones when I was out. Then I just tossed the shirt somewhere and ran out here to check on him.”

“Well, okay. Um, I’m not sure if this is any consolation, but last night Juza-kun had a little argument, or something, with Banri-kun really late last night. I think he’s still asleep.”

And right at that moment, a loud thud is heard from inside room 104.

Izumi snaps her attention back to the room, and Kumon-kun bangs on the door harder than before.

“Nii-chan, are you in there? Are you okay? Is One-length being mean to you again? I’ll fight him if he is! Nii—“

“Shut the fuck up, kid! Oh my God, what time do you think it is?”

Kumon-kun’s fist hangs awkwardly in the air as he stares at a very messy-haired, very sweaty-bodied, and definitely very se-sex... Oh God, it is way too early in the morning—and it’s 9 already, actually!—to be seeing one of Izumi’s kids, possibly two, looking like they have just had a sex marathon all night.

And Izumi is quite certain she does not want innocent, pure, older-brother-loving Kumon-kun to witness such abomination presented before his very eyes. Time to evacuate the innocent.

“What did you do to my brother?!”

But she’s too late. Because apparently, while she was trying to burn the image of two of her kids fornicating in the sacred dorm, Kumon-kun has barged in to his brother’s room and seen his brother in a fetal position, holding his head tightly.

Now, she’s confused. What the heck did Banri-kun do to Juza-kun?

“Banri-kun, please answer Kumon-kun’s question right now. Also, please put on a shirt and a pair of pants while you’re at it.”

A roll of his eyes is the only answer Banri gives, but he does make a move to put on something to cover the marks left of his—Izumi has accepted this fact now—lovemaking with his roommate.

“I didn’t do anything to your brother, you Brocon.” Banri-kun’s head pops out of the collar of the white t-shirt he decided to put on, and whips around to find where Kumon-kun has disappeared to. Izumi doesn’t even notice the younger has run off. “And get off my bed!” To Banri-kun’s bed. That has Juza-kun in it. Who is trying to not-very-subtly wrap a duvet around, Izumi guesses, his very much naked body.

Oh God. This will take a long time getting used to.

“Nii-chan, are you okay? What did One-length do to you?” Kumon-kun pointedly ignores Banri-kun warning and gets on his bed anyway.

“He’s fine; he only hit his head—“

“You hit him on his head?! What is wrong with you!”

“I didn’t do anything, are you even listening to me? He hit himself on the head because he got too close to the ceili—“

“You hit his head on the ceiling?! I’m gonna hit _your_ head on the ceiling, One-length!”

All these banters are fun and all, and watching Juza-kun trying to explain in between the loud banters is quite entertaining also, but all the _banters_ will bring the wrong person into the mess that Izumi would rather avoid so early in the morning.

“What’s with all the shouting?!”

And here comes the wrong person.

“Sakyo-san, Banri hit Nii-chan’s head on the ceiling!”

“What?”

“That is not what is going on here, Sakyo-san.” Banri-kun interferes with a heavy sigh. It must have soured things up as their frolicking was interrupted, but Izumi really can’t find it in her to shympatize.

Well, maybe a little.

“Then explain, Settsu.”

“We were, um...” All eyes are at Juza-kun as he finally speaks up for the first time since the bust a little while ago now. “We were having um... adult sleepover.”

Banri-kun pointedly facepalms.

Izumi sighs understandingly.

And Sakyo-san pinches the bridge of his nose in irritation.

“And why, pray tell, you were doing _adult sleepover_ at 9 in the morning?”

At this, Izumi jumps in to save the embarrassment for all parties involved, excluding pure, innocent Kumon-kun who is now clinging protectively at his brother’s arm. “I think it’s more a continuation, you could say, Sakyo-san. You know, from last night's glass incident.”

Realization dawns fairly quickly on Sakyo-san’s face as he registers Izumi’s explanation. And following right after is exhaustion. Sakyo-san’s face immediately appears much older than his age at the discovery that his troupe mates are fucking each other for who knows how long.

“Right. I don’t know why there’s so much shouting involved, but whatever. Do whatever you want. Use protection.”

As Sakyo-san retreats from the room, Banri-kun chirps in in a low voice.

“At least we’re saving money because there’s always only one sheet to wash each time.”

“I hope you know that is so not helping, Settsu.” Sakyo-san continues his way out of the room, accompanied with a tired, heavy sigh. “And get that kid out of this den!”

Izumi looks over at the still-clinging Kumon-kun. With big eyes he asks his brother if what Sakyo-san said means he’s letting Banri-kun to keep fighting with his brother but they have to use protection. Juza-kun visibly stiffens at the question, his mouth opens and closes, trying to find the correct answer that won’t corrupt his brother.

“Oi, Small Hyodo. Go fetch your brother his clothes.” Banri-kun interrupts. Izumi can see that Juza-kun exhales a relieved sigh, and Kumon-kun failing to notice this as he yells back at Banri-kun.

“You are not the boss of me!” Quickly he turns to his brother, who stiffens again. “Do you want your clothes, Nii-chan?” he asks cheerfully.

“Sure, Kumon.”

Izumi dutifully helps Kumon gather the big brother’s clothes, and she can see in her peripheral that Banri-kun has climbed back to his bed. He speaks a few words to Juza-kun, all in quiet voice so none of the other two in the room can’t hear what they’re saying.

Then, either purposefully or they are just really good at ignoring the presence of other people in the room, Banri-kun leans in and pecks Juza-kun’s lips. A very quick, and admittedly very sweet peck on the lips.

At the same time, Kumon-kun announces in a very Kumon-kun way that he has collected his brother’s clothes and is “going to give it to him quick, Director-san!”

Izumi quickly glances at Banri-kun’s bed, and sighs in relief when she sees Banri-kun descending the stair of his side of bed. Izumi shuffles towards where Banri-kun is now pretending to be busy on his phone—when did he even get his phone with him anyway.

“You two have a lot to talk about with Kumon-kun, you know.”

“Yeah, yeah.” They take a glance at the brothers; Kumon-kun lets out a surprised gasp and exclaims that he doesn’t know his brother sleeps naked when in the dorm, which his brother answers with stammered words. Banri-kun lets out a chuckle at that. “Little step at a time, though, Director-chan.”

 _Oh, to be young, hormonal, and free_ , Izumi croons affectionately in her heart. Hope the resident troublemakers don’t get too much in trouble trying to explain their situation to sweet, innocent Kumon-kun.

And Izumi imagines, Yuki will never live this down if he ever finds out what happened.

**Author's Note:**

> Yell about JuBan with me on twitter @bekabanzai! I really need to learn how to add links in notes. But for now, thank you for reading! Comments and kudos are much appreciated. See you next time!
> 
> Love,  
> beka_banzai


End file.
